BELFAST (Reuters) - Sinn Fein's emergence as Northern Ireland's largest political party represents a defining moment in the British-run region's history and ushers in a new era, the regional head of the Irish nationalist party said on Saturday.

       "Today represents a very significant moment of change. It's a defining moment for our politics and our people," Michelle O'Neill, head of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, said after her party for the first time secured the most votes in an election to the regional parliament.

       (Reporting by Amanda Ferguson and Conor Humphries; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)